Jeremiah 27-28 • When the False Prophet Meets the True

Jeremiah 27-28 • When the False Prophet Meets the True Introduction What is the role of a prophet? What makes them different from, say, a preacher or teacher or evangelist? In these chapters we have the opportunity to examine a true prophet of God side-by-side with a false prophet. We are provided not with just a case study of how to tell the true apart from the false, but with how we as believers are supposed to handle prophesy and react to God’s prophets. In this example we can see why true prophets are often called “evangelists to believers”.

1In the beginning of the reign of [Read 27:1-2] Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Q: What kind of a teaching is this? 2 LORD, saying— thus says the LORD to A: This is what we would call an object lesson. Jeremiah would do me—“Make for yourself bonds and yokes something that visibly parallels the greater symbolism of the Word of and put them on your neck, God.

3and send word to the king of Edom, to [Read 27:3-7] the king of Moab, to the king of the sons of Ammon, to the king of Tyre and to the Q: What is the meaning of the object lesson? king of Sidon by the messengers who A: It symbolizes the nations who will fall victim to Nebuchadnezzar come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of initially and remain subservient to Babylon through the reigns of his son 4 Judah. Command them to go to their and grandson. masters, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, thus you shall Q: Why are these particular nations singled out? 5 say to your masters, I have made the A: These are the nations to whom the cup of God’s wrath was sent earth, the men and the beasts which are through Jeremiah in chapter 25 and against whom Jeremiah prophesied. on the face of the earth by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and I Q: Are these the only nations to conquered by Babylon? will give it to the one who is pleasing in A: Verse 7 indicates, “All the nations shall serve him”. But God wants 6 My sight. Now I have given all these these nations in particular to know in advance that the greater work of lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar His judgment is empowering these things and that it’s not simply coming king of Babylon, My servant, and I have about by chance. These are all nations He has given the opportunity to given him also the wild animals of the come into a right relationship with Him at one time or another. 7 field to serve him. All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson Q: What might be significant about how God indicates the length of time until the time of his own land comes; then Babylon will rule? many nations and great kings will make A: The time of God’s judgment is fixed and in the end itself turns upon him their servant. the instrument of that judgment – Babylon – who does not learn the right lesson of judgment.

8“It will be, that the nation or the [Read 27:8-11] kingdom which will not serve him, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and Q: What is God’s desire? What will happen to those who ignore it? which will not put its neck under the yoke A: God’s desire is that they submit to judgment. But if they resist it, He of the king of Babylon, I will punish that will send additional, supernatural events to add to their punishment. nation with the sword, with famine and with pestilence,” declares the LORD, Q: What will happen to those who accept it? “until I have destroyed it by his hand. A: They will be subject to Babylon but will not be extracted from their 9 But as for you, do not listen to your land. (v.11) prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your soothsayers or your sorcerers who Q: What does this tell us about God’s intentions? speak to you, saying, ‘You will not serve A: He is disciplining them for the purpose of changing their behavior. He 10 the king of Babylon.’ For they prophesy is seeking those who will submit to His discipline, not continue to rebel a lie to you in order to remove you far against it. from your land; and I will drive you out 11 and you will perish. But the nation Jeremiah 27-28 • When the False Prophet Meets the True, Page 1 of 6 Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by Permission. All other content, materials, etc. are Copyright © 2009 by Walk with the Word. Permission for personal and/or not-for-profit use freely granted. Any questions or comments concerning Walk with the Word should be directed to [email protected] which will bring its neck under the yoke Q: Whom does God identify as their greatest threat in this situation? of the king of Babylon and serve him, I A: “…your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your soothsayers or will let remain on its land,” declares the your sorcerers”. (v.9) LORD, “and they will till it and dwell in 1. “Prophet” – Someone who is purportedly conveying a message from it.”’” God. 2. “Diviner” – Someone who claims that their magic practices or incantations reveal a message from beyond. Their message is purported to come about as the result of the person’s own works. 3. “Dreamer” – Someone who claims to have had a divine revelation or prophetic vision as the result of a dream from God. 4. “Soothsayer” – Someone who claims they can predict the future by magical or mystical means, a kind of practitioner of false religious practices. 5. “Sorcerer” – Someone who practices magic, something that may or may not be directly connected with a particular religion.. Examples are Jannes and Jambres, the witch of Endor, and Simon the Samaritan (Acts 8).

All of these different disciplines cover all the ways by which people believe spiritual results could be achieved WITHOUT going through the One True God.

Point: One of the ways people rebel against God is by seeking false spiritual authorities to tell them what they want to hear rather than the truth. The greater problem here is with people who will listen to every spiritual deceiver of every kind but not to the Word of God.

12I spoke words like all these to [Read 27:12-15] Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Q: Now to whom is God speaking? Babylon and serve him and his people, A: To Judah. 13 and live! Why will you die, you and your people, by the sword, famine and Q: Does He say anything different to them than to the nations? pestilence, as the LORD has spoken to that A: No, it’s the same call. nation which will not serve the king of 14 Babylon? So do not listen to the words Q: And what is their biggest spiritual impediment? of the prophets who speak to you, saying, A: Prophets who “prophesy a lie to you…they prophesy falsely in My ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon,’ name”. Just as false spiritual influences are the main problem with the 15 for they prophesy a lie to you; for I have nations, so it is with Judah. not sent them,” declares the LORD, “but they prophesy falsely in My name, in Q: What is the consequence of listening to false prophets? order that I may drive you out and that A: It’s not merely that someone is getting bad information, but since it you may perish, you and the prophets does not change behavior it leads to death. who prophesy to you.” Application: The difference between putting into practice God’s Word and ways as opposed to listening to false spiritual influences is literally the difference between life and death itself.

Jeremiah 27-28 • When the False Prophet Meets the True, Page 2 of 6 Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by Permission. All other content, materials, etc. are Copyright © 2009 by Walk with the Word. Permission for personal and/or not-for-profit use freely granted. Any questions or comments concerning Walk with the Word should be directed to [email protected]

16Then I spoke to the priests and to all [Read 27:16-22] this people, saying, “Thus says the LORD: Do not listen to the words of your Q: Why are “the vessels of the Lord’s house” being discussed? prophets who prophesy to you, saying, A: Previously the most costly and precious vessels had been removed ‘Behold, the vessels of the LORD’S house during the reigns of Jehoiakim and Jeconiah. This was a warning, a kind will now shortly be brought again from of prelude from God indicating that everything would eventually be taken. Babylon’; for they are prophesying a lie Instead of repenting and learning the right lesson, they instead clung to 17 to you. Do not listen to them; serve the the notion that it was something temporary, a false belief reinforced by king of Babylon, and live! Why should false prophets. 18 this city become a ruin? But if they are prophets, and if the word of the LORD is Q: Why should this be such a big issue to the people of that day? with them, let them now entreat the LORD A: They had a false belief that God would never give His temple over to a of hosts that the vessels which are left in Gentile nation much less allow it to be destroyed. They came to believe the house of the LORD, in the house of the that the temple itself was their protection replacing their need to be king of Judah and in Jerusalem may not obedient from the heart and that religious things would automatically 19 go to Babylon. For thus says the Lord of protect them. So listening to false prophecies about the temple vessels hosts concerning the pillars, concerning coming back reinforced their wrong behavior. the sea, concerning the stands and concerning the rest of the vessels that are Q: What is v.18 really stating about the false prophets? 20 left in this city, which Nebuchadnezzar A: That whether they are true or false prophets will be proven by what king of Babylon did not take when he happens to the things of the temple. carried into exile Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, from Jerusalem Q: What is significant about the things mentioned in v.19? to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah A: These are the large, main items in the outer temple necessary for 21 and Jerusalem. Yes, thus says the LORD carrying out the actual sacrifices, not merely the smaller “vessels” by of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the which the sacrifices were carried out. In other words, it wasn’t that the vessels that are left in the house of the temple rituals would be hindered a little bit by removing the vessels, but LORD and in the house of the king of that they would be impossible to carry out when everything in the temple 22 Judah and in Jerusalem, ‘They will be was carried away or destroyed. (See Jer. 52:17, 20 & 21 when this carried to Babylon and they will be there ultimately happened.) until the day I visit them,’ declares the LORD. ‘Then I will bring them back and Q: How does their slavery to Babylon represent something greater? restore them to this place.’” A: They physical slavery to another will mirror their spiritual slavery because they will not be able to carry out the full letter of the Law as provided through Moses when they no longer have a functioning Temple. Just as they can no longer serve their own king but must serve another, so they can no longer properly serve and worship their heavenly King.

Application: When the things of God are continually misused they are withdrawn by God so that He can place the focus squarely on the heart.

1Now in the same year, in the beginning [Read 28:1-4] of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, in the fifth month, Q: Was Hananiah a prophet? Hananiah the son of Azzur, the prophet, A: No, it only says that his father Azzur was acknowledged as a prophet who was from Gibeon, spoke to me in the from Gibeon. house of the LORD in the presence of the 2 priests and all the people, saying, “Thus Point: False prophets often count on their associations with true prophets to says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, disguise their true nature and cause people to wrongly call them “prophet”. ‘I have broken the yoke of the king of 3 Babylon. Within two years I am going to Q: What is similar about Hananiah’s prophecy as compared to Jeremiah’s? bring back to this place all the vessels of A: Using the same symbols, Hananiah predicts the exact opposite of the LORD’S house, which Jeremiah. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried to 4 Babylon. I am also going to bring back

Jeremiah 27-28 • When the False Prophet Meets the True, Page 3 of 6 Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by Permission. All other content, materials, etc. are Copyright © 2009 by Walk with the Word. Permission for personal and/or not-for-profit use freely granted. Any questions or comments concerning Walk with the Word should be directed to [email protected] to this place Jeconiah the son of Q: What does Hananiah prophesy that was not covered by Jeremiah? Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the A: Hananiah goes further by stating that not only would the vessels be exiles of Judah who went to Babylon,’ returned, but the people who were initially taken into captivity would also declares the LORD, ‘for I will break the be returned. yoke of the king of Babylon.’” Q: How does this directly contradict what we have already discussed as the greater reason for God’s message through Jeremiah? A: The greater message is that God is going to make their physical condition mirror their spiritual condition in order to draw them back to the issue of their heart. What Hananiah is essentially preaching is that there is no need to repent or change their heart.

Application: The true role of a biblical prophet is to call God’s backslidden people back into a right spiritual relationship with Him. Therefore the true working of a false prophet is to persuade God’s backslidden people that there is no need to repent or reconcile spiritually.

5Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to the [Read 28:5-9] prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and in the presence of all the Q: What is the first and foremost thing Jeremiah did where Hananiah was people who were standing in the house of concerned? 6 the Lord, and the prophet Jeremiah said, A: Jeremiah confronted Hananiah publicly not just in the presence of the “Amen! May the LORD do so; may the priests, but all the people present. LORD confirm your words which you have prophesied to bring back the vessels Point: When confronted publicly, false prophets and those not properly of the LORD’S house and all the exiles, understanding Scripture will often claim a violation of Matthew 18:15-20 saying 7 from Babylon to this place. Yet hear now that they’re not supposed to be confronted publicly until they’re first approached this word which I am about to speak in privately. This is only true in the case of personal sin occurring specifically your hearing and in the hearing of all the between individuals. In every case of those teaching false doctrine or 8 people! The prophets who were before prophesying falsely, there is no biblical “right of privacy” as outlined in Matthew me and before you from ancient times 18, but the repeated biblical example is to immediately effect a public prophesied against many lands and confrontation of the truth. against great kingdoms, of war and of 9 calamity and of pestilence. The prophet Q: In the end, how is a prophet proven to be true or false? who prophesies of peace, when the word A: “…when the word of the prophet comes to pass”. (v.9) Jeremiah is of the prophet comes to pass, then that saying that it’s not whether a prophet’s message is pleasing or not, but prophet will be known as one whom the whether the actual events predicted come about. LORD has truly sent.” Q: But what is the problem in the interim until the event comes to pass proving which prophet is true? A: They have opposing messages as to what to do. Whereas the true prophet is calling for repentance and return, the false is claiming nothing is wrong nor needing to be addressed. The spiritually undiscerning will only find out the truth when it is too late.

Application: False prophets often confuse the issue by turning the true message of God around to mean its exact opposite. Faith-Prosperity teachers assert we are to be rich in this life, when the Bible teaches our riches are to come in the next; Kingdom Now theology teaches there is no literal Millennial Reign to come, that it will instead be experienced in the course of this life; Replacementists teach that Israel has been replaced by the Church and there is no longer any use for literal Israel when Scripture still holds many unfulfilled promises yet to come for the nation of Israel. False prophets love to take biblical teachings and bend them 180 degrees.

Jeremiah 27-28 • When the False Prophet Meets the True, Page 4 of 6 Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by Permission. All other content, materials, etc. are Copyright © 2009 by Walk with the Word. Permission for personal and/or not-for-profit use freely granted. Any questions or comments concerning Walk with the Word should be directed to [email protected]

10Then Hananiah the prophet took the [Read 28:10-11] yoke from the neck of Jeremiah the 11 prophet and broke it. Hananiah spoke in Q: Why do you suppose at this point that Jeremiah silently “went his way”? the presence of all the people, saying, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Even so will I “When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing break within two full years the yoke of does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it the neck of all the nations.’” Then the presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him. prophet Jeremiah went his way. Deuteronomy 18:22

Having spoken in the Lord’s name, and having rebutted Hananiah in the Lord’s name, the only thing that is going to settle the issue is whether or not one or the other’s words come true. This is also probably an Old Testament application of Christ’s admonition…

“Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. Matthew 7:6

But it’s also worth noting that having provided God’s initial response, he goes no further until receiving an additional message from God as provided in the following verses.

12 The word of the LORD came to [Read 28:12-17] Jeremiah after Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from off the neck of the Q: Why does God make the distinction between “yokes of wood” and 13 prophet Jeremiah, saying, “Go and “yokes of iron”? speak to Hananiah, saying, ‘Thus says the A: If they had responded to the true message through Jeremiah they LORD, “You have broken the yokes of would have repented and their punishment under Babylon would have wood, but you have made instead of them been much more bearable. But now their rebellion means that because 14 yokes of iron.” For thus says the LORD they won’t submit to God’s discipline, their punishment will be so much of hosts, the God of Israel, “I have put a more severe. yoke of iron on the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Application: There are consequences for sin which often cannot be avoided but Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and can be endured differently depending on how the heart responds. they will serve him. And I have also given him the beasts of the field.”’” Q: So is the worst thing a false prophet can do is to falsely predict the 15 Then Jeremiah the prophet said to future? Hananiah the prophet, “Listen now, A: No, the worst thing they do is to deceive the heart. Their false Hananiah, the LORD has not sent you, and predictions for the future are not just a trap of deception that will come you have made this people trust in a lie. about later, but actually take effect in the here and now. 16 Therefore thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I am about to remove you from the face Q: Is the work of a false prophet simply to make people “trust in a lie”? of the earth. This year you are going to A: The ultimate work is in what trusting in a lie results in: “you have die, because you have counseled rebellion counseled rebellion against the LORD”. (v.16) It’s not believing in the lie against the LORD.’” that the vessels or people would be returned within two years that’s the 17 So Hananiah the prophet died in the most devastating spiritually, it’s the fact that this lie encouraged everyone same year in the seventh month. to continue to live the same without making any behavioral change whatsoever. In other words, to continue in their rebellion of God’s Word and ways in favor of their own desires.

Application: One of the ways we can know for sure that a false prophet is at work is in the fact that their adherents do not change according to God’s Word and ways but seek to justify and continue their own earthly and fleshly ways.

Jeremiah 27-28 • When the False Prophet Meets the True, Page 5 of 6 Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by Permission. All other content, materials, etc. are Copyright © 2009 by Walk with the Word. Permission for personal and/or not-for-profit use freely granted. Any questions or comments concerning Walk with the Word should be directed to [email protected] Q: Have we ever seen God strike down a false prophet? A: Throughout history, and even in our present time, it’s interesting to note how personal tragedy has struck false prophets and yet most of those deceived by them refuse to learn to take it as a warning of the ultimate fall of all the lies to come.

Overall Application

Many people believe that a prophet is someone who predicts a specific event before it comes to pass. In reality, a true prophet is someone who is calling God’s backslidden people back into a right relationship with Him. The event the prophet predicts is most often a milestone when time runs out, when it will be too late to effectually repent and return to God. To properly listen to a true prophet of God is to respond to their message in the here and now before it is too late to do anything about it. This is the application of the myriad of prophecies concerning the Last Days. We don’t want to see it come true and THEN turn to God because by that time it will be too late. The opportunity to respond is in the time BEFORE such things come to pass.

Jeremiah 27-28 • When the False Prophet Meets the True, Page 6 of 6 Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by Permission. All other content, materials, etc. are Copyright © 2009 by Walk with the Word. Permission for personal and/or not-for-profit use freely granted. Any questions or comments concerning Walk with the Word should be directed to [email protected]